Local Christmas ads proving very popular
John Lewis may have spent nearly €10m on their festive ad but a couple of local businesses have shown that you don't need a huge budget to make a high quality Christmas commercial.
On Wednesday morning, well known Banagher pub JJ Hough's released its new ad, Digital De-Houghx', which encourages us all to moderate our phone and tablet usage this Christmas.
The ad, which was conceived and directed by Ger Hough, tells the story of an older man who becomes so disillusioned by the amount of time those around him spend on their electronic devices that he cuts down the local telephone mast.
With no Wi-Fi coverage the people of Banagher start interacting with each other again much to the delight of the old man. However, at the end of the ad the he receives a mobile phone from his grandson and succumbs to its digital charms. We also see that devices have their uses when the man takes a selfie of him and his friends.
Joking that its hashtag should be 'I'm dreaming of a Luddite Christmas', Ger says that while the ad is, in part, “a lament on modern life”, he feels that mobile phones and other electronic devices have their place as long as we know when to put them down.
Since the advent of smart phones, Ger has noticed that the “art of conversation” has been adversely affected in bars. However, people may be surprised at who the worst culprits are.
“Maybe young people have grown up with smart phones are actually more used to them. There is more of a problem with with middle aged people who all of a sudden found them. The millennials aren't as addicted to them as older people.”
Ger posted the ad on his pub's Facebook page on Wednesday morning and by 9am on Thursday morning it had been viewed almost 30,000 times. The ad features a cast made up of locals and was filmed over three Saturday mornings.
This is Ger's third year in a row to make a Christmas ad, with his two previous efforts receiving hundreds of thousands of views. Unlike multi-national firms who spend millions on their ad, Ger says that his cost “a round of drinks and two cooked chickens”.
Tullamore based firm Gill's Chimney Services have also made a Christmas ad that has gone down a storm on social media.
Produced by Sky Daddy Media, the ad features a brother and sister who write to the elves in the North Pole Chimney Department asking that their chimney be inspected before Santy visits.
Speaking to the Offaly Independent Darren said that the ad is proving very popular with over 10,000 views in the first two days.